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Gene therapy specialist bluebird exits “untenable” European market

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Europe market has proved so hostile to gene therapies when it comes to pricing and reimbursement for gene therapies that bluebird bio has decided to quit the market altogether, according to Andrew Obenshain, president of its severe genetic diseases unit. — Brad Loncar (@bradloncar) August 9, 2021.

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Researchers identify genes that may increase schizophrenia risk

Drug Discovery World

Researchers have identified two previously unknown genes linked to schizophrenia and newly implicated a third gene as carrying risk for both schizophrenia and autism. The investigators found the two risk genes, SRRM2 and AKAP11, by comparing the gene sequences of people with schizophrenia to those of healthy controls.

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Precision Bio climbs on near-$1.5bn sickle cell pact with Novartis

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Novartis has shouldered its way into the in vivo gene editing category via a deal with US biotech Precision BioSciences, focused on a therapy for sickle cell disease (SCD). It is also working with Eli Lilly on in vivo gene-editing drugs against three targets, including one in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, under the terms of a $1.4

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Vertex eyes controllable genetic drugs with $1.3bn Obsidian alliance

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Vertex Pharma has ramped up its involvement in gene-editing medicines for the second time in a week, paying Obsidian Therapeutics $75 million upfront to access its technology platform. . Alternatively, a drug can be administered that switches off the genetic medicine and brings protein expression to a halt.

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Scenic Bio raises $31m for genetic modifier platform

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The Netherlands-based biotech, which is putting together a pipeline of genetic modifier drugs for cancer and rare diseases, said the new funding would also allow it to double its headcount to add clinical capabilities and move to a larger facility. Others working in this area include Maze Therapeutics in the US.

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Sensyne, Oxford University deploy AI to find asthma targets

pharmaphorum

Oxford University and UK clinical artificial intelligence (AI) company Sensyne Health will partner on a project to find new drug targets for people with hard-to-treat asthma. Dr Timothy Hinks. According to Hinks, “we still don’t understand the causes of asthma, because in the past the scientific tools just didn’t exist.

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New podcast: Overcoming different barriers in drug discovery

Drug Discovery World

This is the latest episode of the free DDW narrated podcast, “Overcoming different barriers in drug discovery”, which covers three articles written for Volume 23, Issue 3 – Summer 2022 of DDW. You can also find The Drug Discovery World Podcast on Spotify , Google Play and Apple Podcasts.

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